Welcome to real estate insights born from many years “in the trenches.” This site cuts through the theory to deliver down-to-earth, field-tested advice for homeowners, buyers, and industry pros—covering everything from buying and selling to investing and development. It’s all practical knowledge for making smarter property decisions.
Zillow vs. CoStar: Why This Battle Over Photos Matters to You
A major copyright lawsuit filed this week by CoStar against Zillow might sound like a corporate turf war—and on the surface, that’s exactly what it is. But behind the headlines, this one hits closer to home for agents, landlords, and property owners than most people realize.
Buried in Zillow’s opposition to a preliminary injunction was a candid acknowledgment of how their platform actually works — and where its limits lie.
But perhaps the most telling statement from Zillow’s filing is this:
The Compass-Zillow Lawsuit Isn’t Just Legal Drama—It’s a Battle Over Real Estate’s Innovation DNA
Glenn Sanford, CEO of eXp, just weighed in on the Compass-Zillow lawsuit—and whether you agree with him or not, his post hits a critical nerve about where this industry could be headed.
The Compass antitrust lawsuit against Zillow is heating up, and Greg Hague’s latest analysis puts an even sharper point on what’s at stake. I covered the legal filing last week, but Hague’s breakdown highlights just how transformative this case could be for the real estate industry. He’s right: this isn’t just about listing policies or portal preferences. It’s a fight over who controls the digital front door to homebuying—and whether innovation in marketing strategies gets crushed under the weight of a near-monopoly.
What Zillow calls a policy change for transparency, Hague frames as textbook exclusionary conduct. And it’s hard to argue with that lens when you consider the timing: Compass gains traction with its Private Exclusives and extended pre-MLS marketing, NAR adjusts the Clear Cooperation Policy to allow more flexibility, and suddenly Zillow drops a 24-hour rule that effectively bans listings that don’t play by its rules. It’s not about fairness to buyers; it’s about eliminating options that threaten Zillow’s lead-gen machine. The permanent nature of the ban, coupled with Zillow’s platform dominance, underscores the concern.
Compass filed a federal antitrust lawsuit yesterday accusing Zillow of trying to crush competition in the home search space. The core of the lawsuit challenges what Compass calls the “Zillow Ban,” a new policy set to begin enforcement June 30th, which blocks any listing from appearing on Zillow if it was marketed elsewhere—even on a brokerage’s private platform—for more than one day.
Compass claims this rule unfairly targets its 3-Phased Marketing Strategy, which allows sellers to start privately marketing a listing before it hits the MLS and public portals. According to the complaint, 94% of listings that used the strategy in 2024 ultimately went to the MLS and sites like Zillow, but the new policy would strip those sellers of that exposure unless they bypass pre-marketing altogether—or fire their agent and relist with someone else. The suit alleges this is a classic monopolistic move to limit seller choice, eliminate competing innovation, and control inventory. Compass also accuses Zillow of conspiring with Redfin and eXp to enforce the policy across multiple platforms, describing it as a coordinated boycott.
Over the years, I’ve watched this industry change in a lot of ways—but I’ve rarely seen a company founder publicly challenge the power structures of organized real estate quite like Robert Reffkin did last week during Compass’s retreat in Denver. His keynote speech, aimed at Compass agents, was less about motivation and more of a pointed indictment of NAR, MLSs, and portals like Zillow. Whether you agree with him or not, he raised some serious questions that the broader real estate world can’t ignore.
Reffkin framed the issue as “choice versus control,” painting organized real estate as a system designed not to protect consumers, but to maintain control over listing data and membership dues. He made the case that MLSs and trade associations—backed by $2B in annual agent dues and $86M in lobbying spend—have gone well beyond their original missions. He described Clear Cooperation rules as less about collaboration and more about squashing alternative listing platforms, especially those that allow for strategic pre-market exposure or “private exclusives” that don’t route through the usual channels.
I just finished Rob Hahn’s latest Notorious POD episode with Ryan Tomasello, managing director and equity research analyst at KBW (see his profile here). The episode is required listening for anyone trying to understand what’s really coming next for our industry. You’ll find the full episode embedded below.
Wall Street analysts are calling this a real estate “renaissance.” This is not business as usual. As Tomasello pointed out, there’s no modern industry that’s seen this kind of disruption—not even the taxi/Uber fight compares. We are watching the foundation shift in real time.
If you’re still operating like the real estate world runs on clear policies and NAR rulebooks, you’re already behind. What’s happening now — with CRMLS refusing to implement a mandatory NAR policy, and Zillow quietly setting its own listing standards — is a clear signal: the old rules-based system is collapsing. We’re moving into a market where size, reach, and direct consumer control will matter more than compliance with association mandates. For agents, brokers, investors, and even homeowners, this means adjusting expectations fast. If you’re relying on the MLS or traditional structures to protect your interests, it’s time to rethink your strategies.
Large players like CRMLS and Zillow aren’t waiting for formal decisions anymore; they are acting independently based on their market power. Smaller MLSs, brokerages, and agents who can’t or won’t adapt risk being pushed aside. Investors and homeowners should pay attention too — as access to listings, transparency, and even who controls information about their properties is changing. Those of us who work “in the trenches” know this shift isn’t theoretical; it’s happening in real time. Power, not rules, is now setting the pace of real estate — and the only way to stay relevant is to move with it, not against it.
Zillow’s April 18 clarification, courtesy of Chief Industry Development Officer Errol Samuelson’s LinkedIn post, attempts to clear the air after some major industry blowback following their April 10 announcement. Zillow boldly doubled down on its shiny new “listing access standards,” insisting that any listing marketed to some buyers must be accessible to all—essentially throwing shade at the trendy rise of private listing networks. Samuelson confidently frames these standards as a noble effort to level the playing field and ensure transparency. But, just to spice things up, he also dismisses opposing views as “misinformation,” suggesting critics are merely craving the spotlight.
So, what exactly is Zillow allowing or disallowing under this supposedly big rule shift?
Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, announced this week that Redfin.com will no longer display listings that were publicly marketed before being shared through the MLS. In a post published April 14th on Redfin’s blog, Kelman stated, “Because we believe that all buyers should be able to see all listings, Redfin.com will not publish any listings that have been publicly marketed before being shared with all real estate websites via the MLS.” In an effort to support this approach, he also called on MLSs to adopt a coming-soon designation that hides days on market and price changes, features often cited by agents and sellers as barriers to listing early on the MLS.